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2020 Map of Willard Spur

Name: 2020 Topographic Map of Willard Spur
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2020
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2020

About this map

The eastern reaches of the Great Salt Lake dominate this shoreline survey, where the massive water body meets the expansive wetlands and inlets of northern Utah. The interaction between land and water is the central theme here, as the Bear River Bay and the specialized avian habitat of Willard Spur create a complex hydrological environment. These marshy areas serve as a critical interface between the freshwater influence of northern rivers and the hypersaline environment of the main lake.

Industrial and geographic boundaries cut through the wetlands, most notably the county line between Box Elder and Weber counties. Near the southeastern corner of the quadrangle, the terrain shifts from the low-lying lake bed to the distinct elevation of Little Mountain. The map shows a network of canals and dikes that have been engineered to manage water levels across the flats, illustrating the ongoing human effort to control the variable shoreline of the Great Salt Lake.